Picture Credit: Twitter
Maintaining their dominance in the world of kabaddi, India defeated their kabaddi arch-rivals Iran in the final of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 in Busan, South Korea, to lift the title for the record eighth time. The 2017 champions defeated their rivals 42-32 to add another feather in their cap.
Pawan Sehrawat-led India remained unbeaten throughout the season and sat atop the standings and scored a super10 in the summit game to win India's eighth title . On the other hand, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh's Iran also fought hard throughout the season but fell short in the ‘virtual final’ against the Indian men on day three of the tournament. The Indian team trailed Iran in the initial phase of the game, but a few tackle points and raids by Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar handed their rivals their first all-out in the 10th minute.
India advanced into the second half with a 23-11 lead; however, the Iranian captain's two-point raid with a super raid handed the team their first all-out in 29th minute of the game. India's Iranian rivals put up a great show and took the game to 38-21, but India managed to secure the game and took out a 42-32 win.
The arch-rivals had locked horns for the first time after the Asian Games semifinal in 2018, where the Indian side slumped to their rivals 18-27, and they failed to make it to the final for the first time in the history of the tournament.